Hospitals in every state were penalized with cuts in Medicare payments for having too many infections. (Maryland is the only state not affected because it has a different Medicare payment system.) Medicare considers these conditions when evaluating hospitals:
- Infections from colon surgeries, hysterectomies, urinary tract catheters, and central line tubes.
- Rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile
- Frequency of 10 types of in-hospital injuries (including bedsores, hip fractures, blood clots, sepsis, and postsurgical wound ruptures).
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